Top 10 Posts of 2018

This year, I decided to put more energy into my blog to keep my writing skills sharp, but to also further explore topics I’m interested in, especially copywriting, quilting/sewing, and gardening. I deleted a bunch of posts that no longer felt “right” and started writing regularly on those particular topics. Because of this, let’s take a look at what YOU have been reading here this year!

Here are the top ten posts for 2018! (At least, as of this writing. Who knows? The last 2 weeks of the year might hold some surprises!)

I haven’t picked up a J. Peterman catalog since I read and wrote about this one. In copywriting, I feel like there’s tension between writing to the market as it is and writing as to how you think it should be. An example: yes, most women in a target market may say all the time that they want to be thin. But, you believe women should love and appreciate their bodies no matter what they look like. How do you write about a dress: promise that it’ll make a woman look slim and slender or explain how the dress will make them look and feel great with a universally flattering silhouette? See the difference? It’s tricky.

This 7-year-old post highlights some catalogs that put the spotlight on their “real life” models. It’s a good way to help the customer stop thinking, “I wish I was her,” and start thinking “I’m just like her!”

My copywriting tips were a new feature in 2018 and I’m glad that a few have landed in the top ten list. Educating the reader is always a good thing. It’s inclusive (as opposed to excluding those who don’t understand a technical term), but also positions the brand as expert.

My Ohio Star quilt was a year-long project in 2018. I put a lot of love into not only sewing 12 unique Ohio Star quilt blocks, but writing the story behind each one. I’m happy that this project hit the top ten.

This post is more about the plants featured in the catalog than the copy. Because of the popularity of this post, I was going to write about the 2018 IKEA catalog, but you know what? While I pored over it and tabbed some pages, I found I just didn’t have much to say about it at all. One of my new goals with this blog is to not write just to write, it needs to have some substance. So, I chose to pass on writing about the 2018 catalog. Maybe next year I’ll be inspired!

I can only imagine that this post is popular because I struck SEO gold. The post is more about spotting a piece of pineapple décor in a cat litter print ad than anything else. I’m sure people are looking for something else when they click on this. I googled “cat litter pineapple” and some really cool pineapple-shaped cat bed/houses pop up. Maybe that’s what they’re searching for.

I just wrote this post and it’s been a long time coming. I’ve loved the Duluth Trading catalog for some time and I was finally able to put into words why it intrigues me so. Also, those “real life” models pop up in their catalogs, too!

Another writing tip and one that is so important. Tell your customers about yourself! If you’re a one-person business that wants to take on big accounts, I explain how to get around sounding “too small.”

Of course, a post where I praise Victoria’s Secret for using “get your panties in a bunch” is going to sneak into the top ten! Give this one a read and see if you can use an idiom to your advantage in your marketing copy.

That’s it, folks! Thank you for reading! Writing is fun, but it’s even more fun with YOU, readers! I won’t be writing here for the rest of the year while I look forward to 2019 and start working on new posts.